(re)opening tomorrow!

in an urban environment, the bicycle is no longer just another mode of transportation; it is an icon of social responsibility. those of us who commute in the city are aware of the bicycle's changing significance and rising popularity. with every revolution of the wheel, cyclists embody a growing movement towards sustainability. now, more than ever, people are choosing to trade in their seat belts for helmets, and embracing this responsibility.

(re)cycle green(er) is a progressive storefront installation exemplifying the ecologistics of six bicycle builders, who have reinterpreted this icon in an environmentally responsive way. functional art is achieved through a collage of components, once donated or disposed of, then reconstructed and reassembled by local (re)cyclists. second-hand frames become the canvas for the hyperbolic extensions of cycling green. through the process of reduction and renewal, each bicycle is resurrected as an icon of self-expression.

the biconography in this installation is set on a major artery in the city to raise awareness, not only for cycling, but for the inherent sustainability of (re)cycling. (re)cycle green(er) is visible 24/7 in the showPODs of pilsen east through june 4th. these are located in the 1800 block of s. halsted st. in chicago.

an opening reception will be held tomorrow at 1900 s. halsted st. on friday, may 14th, in conjunction with the monthly 2nd fridays event. featured (re)cyclists will be on hand to share their vision and process in the (re)creation of these six unique bicycles. the installation is made possible by podmajersky, inc. and the chicago arts district to demonstrate that the most efficient form of human transportation can be even green(er)!

peroni beer, burkes beverages, & ristorante al teatro are proud to co-sponsor this event along with izze and southern beverage. new accessories by organic bikes will be raffled off at the opening.

word choice.

last week i made what has become a pretty routine trip to chicago. since i moved to milwaukee 8 months ago, i put the number of miles between here and there on my hand-me-down car x20. its a good idea i didn't move any further. in two weeks i am going to ride it for the first time.

chicago is a great town, but i am mainly loyal to milwaukee. i like it better here, and i am not the only long standing resident of cook county that thinks so. its just nicer up yonder. i think the general lack of congestion, the inexpensive nights out, and the ability for small businesses to survive here have a lot to do with it. i will return with an official verdict once i have had a summer presence here. chicago in the summertime is tough to compete with, however what they lack is the riverwest 24 (july 30-31).



so back at it, hyah. i was in chicago for a couple bicycle deliveries, one bicycle pick up, to get a few parts, and perhaps a new bicycle to convert... maybe thats why i have a tough time liking chicago...mostly bicyness whenever i am in town. it seems like i am always telling a friend that i have not seen in awhile that i am on my way out. last weekend i spent three nights there, none at my old loft. the first night with efren, the second with jimmy, and the third with jeremy.

i like a change of scenery but its tough to relax when the sojourns are so short-lived. you have to always be three steps ahead in regards to what to pack, the tools you will need, and all that other bourgeois.

the trip began at a local shop. its currently goes by the name 'lugs.' even if i wrote this email when it wasn't 2am, it would likely still be closed. yeah, you know the spot. so after picking up a few parts with ron (the owner) friday afternoon, i decided to hang out in the shop for a minute. there is always a degree of surrealism being there. it tends to suck you in. the atmosphere is entirely calm, and conversation there is the polar opposite of forced. lets call it a speakeasy.



well as these things tend to unfold, there is usually a bit of alcohol involved. i went next door and chose wild turkey in order to stir up some resentment for an encounter i needed to make. you see, a brazen fellow by the name of shaun down the street at 'connect chicago' thought it would be wise to email me his irrational vulgarities a week prior. he chose to call the bicycle i had on display at his venue a 'relic,' and he asked me to come pick it up after his one of his employees decided to joyride the display bicycle for a few months.

i needed to collect the once pristine white fizik sadddle, white zaffiro tires, 144bcd signature crankset, and hand built, custom laced track wheelset on my 1974 raleigh competition. aware that i would not receive my bicycle in the condition i left it in, combined with the fact that i was underway on a custom project for shaun that was specifically powdercoated for him, i was none too happy. so wild turkey 101 and a round table amongst fellow bike builders, who are well aware of the value of a rare older bicycle (or relic, ha), seemed like an honest preamble to dumping more fuel onto bridge that shaun had already burnt. does anyone else catch the irony in his store named 'connect chicago?'

did that happen? not friday night. a handful of usual suspects came through, and in the single lamp that illuminates what part of 'lugs' need be lit, we had few beers and passed around the bourbon. echoing my (re)sentiments, questions came up like "what?" and "who does that??" the general aura of comradery put me in a mood all too amicable to be spoiled by a guy who terminates relationships via the internet. in any event, i realized that there would be a better time for picking up my bike and opted to enjoy the good company at ron's shop.



then we got to talking. word choice game #1 was the new name of his shop. the name 'lugs' and original 'ride chicago' left something to be desired. ron mentioned the prospect of a name that involved the word velo. the supporting cast, including myself, all agreed that this was a term oversaturating the cycling industy - kind of like the word organic in the realm of conscious eating. it just doesn't hold any weight these days.

i proposed he change his business model to a njs/keirin store and call it 'keiron.' bikeith and kieron. take another step; we could partner up and and form 'bikeiron.' though this was beyond clever (or merely another choice coincidence), ron isn't as narrow-minded to work strictly with the japenese track standards. seeing that he is more into vintage english models, i offered up a name once conceived for a bike shop in milwaukee, by the name of 'standforth.' it has that air of liberalness and activism, a hint of old english, and bodes well to the low lit ambiance of a speakeasy.

somewhere or another, the word 'sell' got me in trouble. "its not about sales," according to ron, "its about relationships." i tripped up later and incited another clarification from ron when i used the word 'customer.' ultimately, i ended up getting chastised for choosing the word 'used' bicycles. around lugs, they prefer the term 'rebuilt' when describing their bicycles.



after the diatribe, i came to understand ron's philosophy and his phonetics. it makes sense; we ought to have a certain level of dignity for our craft. relationships come first hand and are worth more than making a few cents. i wonder what ron thinks of the word second hand.